THREE councilmen of Barangay Alangilan in Bacolod City led a protest rally in front of the Department of Agrarian Reform-Negros Occidental office yesterday to call on the agency to enforce the cease and desist order (CDO) on the owner of Metro Safari that is constructing a zoo in their community.
Donard Alimpolo, Alex Sausi and Roy Retiza were joined by about a hundred Alangilan residents.
DAR Regional Director Alejandro Otacan had earlier issued a CDO to developer Francis Rey Cabuga for illegally converting farm holdings in Alangilan for non-agricultural uses without an approved land conversion order.
Otacan has also ordered Cabuga to explain in writing why a criminal case for illegal conversion should not be filed against him.
The Alangilan residents also called on Bacolod City Mayor Monico Puentevella to show his political will against an investor who does not follow the law.
After holding the picket, they proceeded to the City Council session hall where Alimpolo addressed the Council members.
They brought to the attention of the City Council the continued construction of facilities by Cabuga despite the absence of a building permit and DAR conversion order.
Office of the Building Official head Isidro Sun said on Tuesday that his office has not issued yet a building permit to Cabuga.
The tarpaulin conspicuously erected by Cabuga in front of his purchased property in Alangilan is not a building permit, he said.
Sun said Cabuga has applied for a permit but the OBO has not yet issued the building permit because he has to complete first the approval from various agencies.
Moreover, the Alangilan councilmen said the certification issued by the City Planning and Development Office (CPDO) to Metro Safari is not based on the records of the office but on the opinion of concerned planning officials in usurpation of the authority of the City Council.
"This act of the CPDO officials is very dangerous as they are not authorized to render an opinion since they are not experts in this field,” they added.